Tulcea - A truly cosmopolitan city
The Ottoman rule and the political-military events during and after it brought an amalgam of population to Tulcea. Organized into neighborhoods, according to ethnic or territorial origin, the city's inhabitants built their own churches and places of worship, as well as other institutions and private buildings. Thus, alongside the Romanians (also known at the time as Dicians), Turks, Tatars, Russian-Lipovians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Germans, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and other ethnic groups settled in the city. Traces of the old dwellings can be felt and seen today at every step, which makes Tulcea a truly cosmopolitan city. But let's find out his story!
The rebirth of the city
Following the Russo-Turkish war of 1829, Tulcea lay deserted. But less than 30 years later, the Frenchman Camile Allard noted in 1856 about Tulcea as "the largest city in this part of Turkey.. that it has a delightful position.. and that its port is much frequented and does a great trade." But what had happened? Where did this miracle come from?
The explanation can be found in the Treaty of Adrianople, by which the delta was ceded to the Russians and thus, the population evacuated from the delta and its vicinity came and repopulated the city. The overpopulation of the city had consequences on the urban structure by breaking the perimeter and moving the commercial center. This was also favored by the changes of a topographical nature, namely by the gradual clogging of the two harbors of the Danube and their transformation into dry land, after the damming works of the river by the European Commission of the Danube, around 1850.
The population evacuated from the village of Prislav (Nufăru) settled on the hill where Prislav Street is today, and the residents of Beştepe occupied Babadagului Hill up to Beştepenilor Street, located near the church on Comorofca Hill. With them came the Greeks who populated the area around Belvedere Street. A new neighborhood had been formed that followed the bank of the Danube, a Romanian neighborhood whose main street was Românească Street (Str. Victoriei). New immigration followed: Bulgarians, Russians, Germans and Tatars. The Bulgarians built their households at the foot of the Mahmudia hill, while the Russians settled in the southern part of the city. In 1844, the first German families, coming from Russia like the Bulgarians, settled on Babadagului Hill in the perimeter between Traian and Mircea Vodă streets, where they later formed the German quarter. After the Crimean War, the Tatars arrived and occupied the western part of the city.
The heterogeneity of the population is also proven by the existence of several cemeteries, such as: the old Turkish cemetery and the old Moldovan cemetery, both located in the old part of the city, between the hills of Monument and Mahmudie, only 500 m from the old port. The Romanian and Greek (orthodox) cemetery is located on the Comorofca Hill, later partially transformed into the Heroes' Cemetery. And the Jewish cemetery can be found in the southern end of the city.
Tulcea, reorganized after 1830, gets a distinct settlement plan through the two parts: the old town of the port and the new town on the Babadag hill, separated by the alluvial area where the commercial center will develop. From the old port, the city square moved here, and at the end of 14 Noiembrie street, shops were built according to the model of oriental bazaars, under a row of columns arranged on both sides of Ştefan cel Mare street (street between Gavrilov Corneliu street and Peace - gone). Also in this area, other arteries appeared, such as Regina Elisabeta (Gavrilov Corneliu St.) and Basarabilor St. (Pacii St.).
Strada Isaccei was clogged and populated, starting an intense commercial activity here as well. The port is located along the newly built quay, where the Port Authority building was built, where the customs also functioned. The old harbor remains for fishermen's boats, especially for the winter. North of the Sacagiilor ford, on the site of the former Ottoman fortification on the rocky promontory, the European Commission of the Danube has erected a lighthouse to guide ships to the sea.
The displacement of the city center led the Turks, who owned the old center, to move closer to the new one, where they will build some imposing buildings, especially since Tulcea will be the residence of Sangeac between 1860-1877. Thus, between 1863-1865 they build the Mansion of Pasha Ismail Bey (now the Art Museum), in 1873 the glass with minaret (Azizie), and in the period 1868-1876, between these buildings, they build the Turkish high school, which will have another use when finished namely the gendarmerie barracks. Later, after 1878, they also built the city hall (the building in front of the "Spiru C. Haret" College, today Deltacon, a heritage building to be rehabilitated and converted into a multicultural center).
The Romanians, in 1845, build the cathedral of St. Nicholas, and the Bulgarians build the church of St. George in 1857 and a school next to it. The place in front of the church of St. George was transformed into a public garden with a kiosk where a brass band played. A flood, following a torrential rain, destroyed the public garden in its place, and then, for a period of time, a grain barn and a cattle fair operated. Around this obor were, to the east, the slums of the Bulgarians and Armenians, to the west of the Jews and Greeks, and to the south the slum of the Russians.
The explanation can be found in the Treaty of Adrianople, by which the delta was ceded to the Russians and thus, the population evacuated from the delta and its vicinity came and repopulated the city. The overpopulation of the city had consequences on the urban structure by breaking the perimeter and moving the commercial center. This was also favored by the changes of a topographical nature, namely by the gradual clogging of the two harbors of the Danube and their transformation into dry land, after the damming works of the river by the European Commission of the Danube, around 1850.
The population evacuated from the village of Prislav (Nufăru) settled on the hill where Prislav Street is today, and the residents of Beştepe occupied Babadagului Hill up to Beştepenilor Street, located near the church on Comorofca Hill. With them came the Greeks who populated the area around Belvedere Street. A new neighborhood had been formed that followed the bank of the Danube, a Romanian neighborhood whose main street was Românească Street (Str. Victoriei). New immigration followed: Bulgarians, Russians, Germans and Tatars. The Bulgarians built their households at the foot of the Mahmudia hill, while the Russians settled in the southern part of the city. In 1844, the first German families, coming from Russia like the Bulgarians, settled on Babadagului Hill in the perimeter between Traian and Mircea Vodă streets, where they later formed the German quarter. After the Crimean War, the Tatars arrived and occupied the western part of the city.
The heterogeneity of the population is also proven by the existence of several cemeteries, such as: the old Turkish cemetery and the old Moldovan cemetery, both located in the old part of the city, between the hills of Monument and Mahmudie, only 500 m from the old port. The Romanian and Greek (orthodox) cemetery is located on the Comorofca Hill, later partially transformed into the Heroes' Cemetery. And the Jewish cemetery can be found in the southern end of the city.
Tulcea, reorganized after 1830, gets a distinct settlement plan through the two parts: the old town of the port and the new town on the Babadag hill, separated by the alluvial area where the commercial center will develop. From the old port, the city square moved here, and at the end of 14 Noiembrie street, shops were built according to the model of oriental bazaars, under a row of columns arranged on both sides of Ştefan cel Mare street (street between Gavrilov Corneliu street and Peace - gone). Also in this area, other arteries appeared, such as Regina Elisabeta (Gavrilov Corneliu St.) and Basarabilor St. (Pacii St.).
Strada Isaccei was clogged and populated, starting an intense commercial activity here as well. The port is located along the newly built quay, where the Port Authority building was built, where the customs also functioned. The old harbor remains for fishermen's boats, especially for the winter. North of the Sacagiilor ford, on the site of the former Ottoman fortification on the rocky promontory, the European Commission of the Danube has erected a lighthouse to guide ships to the sea.
The displacement of the city center led the Turks, who owned the old center, to move closer to the new one, where they will build some imposing buildings, especially since Tulcea will be the residence of Sangeac between 1860-1877. Thus, between 1863-1865 they build the Mansion of Pasha Ismail Bey (now the Art Museum), in 1873 the glass with minaret (Azizie), and in the period 1868-1876, between these buildings, they build the Turkish high school, which will have another use when finished namely the gendarmerie barracks. Later, after 1878, they also built the city hall (the building in front of the "Spiru C. Haret" College, today Deltacon, a heritage building to be rehabilitated and converted into a multicultural center).
The Romanians, in 1845, build the cathedral of St. Nicholas, and the Bulgarians build the church of St. George in 1857 and a school next to it. The place in front of the church of St. George was transformed into a public garden with a kiosk where a brass band played. A flood, following a torrential rain, destroyed the public garden in its place, and then, for a period of time, a grain barn and a cattle fair operated. Around this obor were, to the east, the slums of the Bulgarians and Armenians, to the west of the Jews and Greeks, and to the south the slum of the Russians.
Economic and social development
The establishment in 1847 of the shipyard, which in time came to produce ships for export, as well as the development of the port function, transformed Tulcea from 1859 into an important river port. This considerably favored the increase in the importance of the settlement. In a short time, Tulcea becomes the largest city of Dobrogea, about which, as early as 1853, the founder of paleolithic archeology Boucher de Perthes reports: "To the left, on the hill, there is another view, namely one of the most pleasant that can be found . It's about an army of windmills. I count about 40, besides the ones I can't see. In front of the mills is a fortified Turkish town called Tulcea. He turns out to be old Aegyssus. We stop in front of the city which seems to be quite spread out. The houses are covered with boards and are separated from each other. Some of them have two floors, steam chimneys are beginning to be seen. A mosque can also be seen."
The importance of the city, which also became the residence of sangeac, also emerges from the comparison made with the city of Constanţa. Thus, in 1869 Tulcea had a number of 2,405 households compared to 331 in Constanța, 463 shops (162 in Constanţa), 8 inns (5 in Constanţa), 2 baths (none in Constanța), 88 mills (only one in Constanta), 3 factories (none in Constanta), 93 pubs (10 in Constanta), 4 hospitals (none in Constanta), a public garden (none in Constanta), a shipyard (none in Constanta).
Four years later, in 1873, the population of the city of Tulcea was 5106 inhabitants, while the population of the city of Constanţa was only 1228 inhabitants. After the liberation of Dobrogea from Turkish rule, Tulcea becomes the seat of the county with the same name.
Source: Aurora Corhan (Tulcea County Library)
The importance of the city, which also became the residence of sangeac, also emerges from the comparison made with the city of Constanţa. Thus, in 1869 Tulcea had a number of 2,405 households compared to 331 in Constanța, 463 shops (162 in Constanţa), 8 inns (5 in Constanţa), 2 baths (none in Constanța), 88 mills (only one in Constanta), 3 factories (none in Constanta), 93 pubs (10 in Constanta), 4 hospitals (none in Constanta), a public garden (none in Constanta), a shipyard (none in Constanta).
Four years later, in 1873, the population of the city of Tulcea was 5106 inhabitants, while the population of the city of Constanţa was only 1228 inhabitants. After the liberation of Dobrogea from Turkish rule, Tulcea becomes the seat of the county with the same name.
Source: Aurora Corhan (Tulcea County Library)
